UGA Football coach Kirby Smart Responds to Paul Finebaum's Comments on Mike Bobo

ATHENS - UGA Football coach Kirby Smart responded to the criticism of ESPN’s Paul Finebaum Tuesday. 

The 10th-year coach at UGA acknowledged he was aware of Finebaum’s comments about UGA offensive coordinator Mike Bobo while the ESPN talking head was on radio with 680 the Fan in Atlanta. 

“I think you could walk down Peachtree Street and get a better offensive coordinator than Bobo,” Finebaum quipped on air with Nick Cellini and Chris Dimino. 

Kirby responded Tuesday that he was confident in Bobo as well offensive line coach Stacy Searles. 

“To be honest with you, I don't get into it much,” Kirby said in response to a question from a reporter. “I worked in a place for ten years before I came here, and it's my tenth spring. So, that's 20 years that I really don't pay much attention to anything outside. I've got a lot of confidence in this organization, the foundation we've built. I've got the best staff in the country, and I have no doubt about that. I've got one of the most experienced SEC staffs there is. To be honest with you, there's a lot of confidence in that, and I have a lot of confidence in it.”

Bobo has been Kirby’s offensive coordinator for two years. The Athens Banner-Herald reported last week that Bobo had been given a one-year contract extension after the 2023 season. That year the Bulldogs had the No. 5 scoring offense in the nation at 40.1 points a game.

But the Bulldogs’ production dipped noticeably in 2024 - down to 31.5 points a game or 38th in the nation in scoring. It was the worst offensive performance since Todd Monken’s first season calling plays at UGA in 2020. Georgia was also ranked No. 38 in the country that season on offense - averaging 32.3 points a game.

Searles, Bobo, Kirby and the Bulldogs started spring football practice on Tuesday. The Bulldogs are scheduled to hold G Day on April 12 in Sanford Stadium.